Store fixture



L. B. SMITH STORE FIXTURE 2 Sheets-Sheet 1 Snventor louz'sb. Smz'zf/z CgZ 5 Z ,P 9 M attorneys Aug. 16, 1955 Filed March 15, 1950 Aug. 16, 19551.. B. SMITH 2,715,467

STORE FIXTURE Filed Marc-11 15, 1950 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 3nventorLouz'sliSmz'i/z cwmqfww (Ittormng United States Patent sTonE FIXTURELouis B. Smith, Mount Lebanon Township, Allegheny County, Pa.

Application l'viarch 15, 1950, Serial No. 149,843

4 Claims. (Cl. 211-49) This invention is for an improvement in storefixtures, and is for an improved shelving for use especially inselfservice stores where canned, packaged and wrapped commodities areoifered for sale.

While various types of shelving have heretofore been designed for use inself-service stores, the most widely used is of conventional form havinghorizontal shelves supported on vertical risers providing compartmentsin which the goods are placed. Aside from the fact that such shelvingdoes not efiectively and attractively display the goods, it is alsoditi'icult for the attendant in charge to keep track of the stock orknow when a bin requires replenishing without close attention.

The present invention has for its object to provide a unique shelving inwhich the goods are arranged in nearly vertical, parallel stacks, andwhich so exhibit the goods as to enable the prospective purchaser toeasily spot the product for which he may be looking, and which enablesthe store attendant, by glancing down the aisle, to determine whichproducts are approaching exhaustion or require replenishing.Additionally, my invention provides a more striking, attractive store,more convenient for both the attendant and the purchaser.

According to the present invention, easel-like frames having inclineduprights connected by spaced horizontal runners or rails are employed.These rails have an edge in which are formed closely spaced parallelkerfs. A single shelf extends along the bottom of the easel or panel,and which is perpendicular to the plane of the easel. Spaced verticalrunners having either parallel or converging sides and parallel edgeshave their edges pressed into the kerfs of the horizontal rails andprovide guides and partitions for the stacks of goods, as willhereinafter more fully appear. The spacing of the runners may be variedfor different sized cans, packages or products.

My invention may be more fully understood by reference to theaccompanying drawings in which:

Fig. l is a front elevation of a small section of shelving embodying myinvention;

Fig. 2 is a view partly in end elevation and partly in section through adouble stand of shelfing such as might extend along the length of thestoreroom away from the walls;

Fig. 3 is a horizontal section in the plane of line ll1]1l of Fig. 1;

Fig. 4 is a view similar to Fig. 3, but on a larger scale, showingvertical runners with parallel sides such as would be used forrectangular or square packages, such as cereals or boxed rice, or cakesof soap;

Fig. 5 is a view similar to Fig. 4, showing runners withoutwardly-converging surfaces for stacking canned goods, round boxes andthe like;

Fig. 6 is a transverse vertical section on a larger scale than Fig. 2,showing in detail the upper part of the double panel unit and alsoshowing how a small auxiliary shelf may be used for small items likespices and small cans such as spreads, sardines and the like;

Fig. 7 is a perspective fragmentary view showing in greater detail aportion of the horizontal rail;

Fig. 8 is a perspective fragmentary view showing a modified arrangementwherein the runners are not only frictionally held in place, but areinterlocked to prevent removal; and

Fig. 9 is a fragmentary transverse section showing the runner of Fig. 8interlocked with the slitted comb or rail.

Referring more specifically to the drawings, the specific constructionshown provides two oppositely sloping panels designed to extend down theopen area of a store room, but it will be understood that against a wallonly a single panel would be leaned.

The panels themselves comprise upright inclined supports 2 connected byhorizontal cross rails 3, 4 and 5 near the top, middle and bottomrespectively. As shown in Fig. 2, two of these panels may be joined atthe top to provide an inverted V-shaped structure, the uprights beingjoined at 6.

The uprights may be formed of angle iron and as shown in Fig. 6, theconfronting flanges are cut away while the parallel flanges are extendedabove the point of contact and receive between them a top strip 7through which bolts are passed to join the tops of the flanges togetherand thus connect the oppositely sloping panels while the top strip givesrigidity to the structure. Cross braces 8 join the uprights at thebottom to keep the structure from spreading.

Each of the horizontal rails 3, 4 and 5 may be made of wood and havesecured to the top thereof a metal strip 9 (see Fig. 7) with aprotruding forward edge in which are cut kerfs 10, these being closetogether, say for example about one-half an inch from one another.

Projecting from the uprights near the bottom are wooden blocks orbrackets 11 that support a base shelf 12, the top of the shelf 12 beingat right angles to the plane of the panelthat is, the shelf slopesdownwardly toward the panel.

Extending up and down on each panel are runners 13 and 14. The runners13 (see Fig. 5) are of a V-shaped form, preferably from sheet metal;that is, the front faces 13a converge to a ridge or peak 13b. The sides13:! have parallel free edges or flanges 13c and the space between theseflanges is some multiple of the distance between the slits or kerfs 10in the combs or strips 9. By this arrangement the runners can be pressedinto the combs as shown in Fi 5 and be frictionally retained.

The bottoms of these runners rest on the shelf 12. Runners formed ofbrushed aluminum are especially attractive in appearance. I

The runners 13 are used to support and guide vertical stacks of cans Cthat are set on the shelf 12 with the cans set one upon another, and theconverging surfaces of adjacent runners center the cans and hold themfrom falling rearwardly through the panel or from tilting sideways,while the inclination of the panel keeps them from falling forwardly.The inclination of the stacks also aids the customer in seeing thelabel. Cans of different sizes are readily accommodated, and for widechanges of size, different spacing may be used.

The runners 14 are also preferably formed of sheet metal. They aresimply of U-shape with parallel sides 14a and are joined by a fiat part14b, while designates the free edges thereof. The distance between thesides is equal to the space between two kerfs 10, so that these runnerscan be applied as shown in Fig. 4 in parallel positions with the edgesengaged in the kerfs 10. One or more narrow channels 15 are disposedbetween each pair of runners 14. Boxes of cereal, cakes of soap,

0 raisins and the like can be stacked end on end between the bracketscomprising upwardly extending arms with forwardly and downwardly turnedhook portions 17a that engage over the horizontal rail 4. Such a shelfmight conveniently be only two or three feet long and support shortvertical columns of small articles near eye level height.

Parallel strips 18 extending along the top of the panel may have stripsfor price marks and item cards, as indi cated, and cross arms 20 atintervals provide station or product signs which a customer can readilysee.

My invention provides store furniture of attractive appearance in whichthe goods are well displayed, easily accessible, labels readily seen,and from which goods can be taken with ease merely by picking up the topitem on the stack. The stacks can be speedily replenished, and as statedabove, a store attendant, looking down an aisle and observing theheights of the columns or stacks of goods can quickly see wherereplenishment is necessary. Not only are these fixtures a vastimprovement over prevailing furniture, but they are relativelyinexpensive. The location of the runners 13 and 14 and their spacing canbe readily adjusted so that if one arrangement of goods appears moredesirable than another, a change can be quickly made.

In the modification shown in Figs. 8 and 9, the combs or strips 9 mayhave the front edge folded over, as at 9a before being kerfed. Therunner, such as 14, has outwardly flared edges 14d, except where thestrips 9 are engaged, at which points the edges 14d are interrupted, andthe metal which otherwise would extend out into the wings 14d is merelyblanked out to form part 14c that engages in the kerfs, and a hook 14fthat catches back of the edge of the fold 9a as shown in Fig. 9. Therunners whenso formed cannot be pulled out except by first lifting them,so that a mechanical interlock, as well as friction, or in lieu offriction is provided. Where strips 14 are thus formed, channels 15 arenot required. The members 13 can be modified in the same way.

While I have shown and described certain preferred embodiments of myinvention, it will be understood that this is by way of illustration andthat various changes and modifications may be made therein.

- 1 claim:

1. A merchandise holding and dispensing fixture for stores comprising anupright supporting frame providing a face inclined at a slight anglefrom a vertical plane,

a shclf'extendingacross the face of the frame adjacent the bottomthereof, a plurality of spaced runners extending across the face of theframe at difierent elevations above the bottom, said runners havingequally-spaced and aligned vertical notches in the outwardly-facingsurfaces thereof, the runners being out of vertical alignment in theplane of the face of the frame by reason of said inclination, and aplurality of horizontally-spaced sheet metal merchandise stacking guideseach comprised of a sheet metal strip folded along its axis to providetwo spaced wings terminating in parallel spaced notch-engaging edgeportions, the two notch-engaging edge portions of each guide removablyengaged in and frictionally retained in two separated notches in each ofthe runners, each such guide having its notch-engaging portions enteredin dilferent vertical notches in the respective runners, the guidesextending up and down on the face of the frame, said guides providingchannels therebetween for holding vertical columns of merchandisestacked end on end between them on the shelf while separating saidcolumns laterally so as to provide access space therebetween, theadjacent channels being separated in the plane of the runners by thedistance between the two parallel notch-engaging edge portions of theintervening guide.

2. A merchandise holding and dispensing fixture as defined in claim 1wherein the guides have outwardlyconverging faces from said parallelnotch-engaging edge portions whereby the channels provided between saidguides flares outwardly.

3. A merchandise holding and dispensing fixture as defined in claim 1wherein each of said guides has later,- ally-turned flanges at the edgesthereof between the notch-engaging edge portions thereof, saidnotch-engaging edge portions being located only where the guide straverse the runners.

4. A merchandise holding and dispensing fixture as defined in claim 1wherein the edge portion of the guide immediately above the portionwhich is engaged in the notch is provided with a hook that isinterlocked with the runner to prevent removal of the guide in adirection normal to the plane of the face of the frame unless the guidebe first lifted vertically to disengage the hooks from the runner.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS423,647 Wells Mar. 18, 1890 1,079,556 Israel 1. Nov. 25, 1913 1,507,387Kyler Sept. 2, 1924 1,611,036 Hovda Dec. 14, 1926 1,745,784 Davis Feb.4, 1930 1,806,642 Ohnstrand May 26, 1931 1,991,102 Kernaghan Feb. 12,1935 2,010,045 Wells Aug. 6, 1935 2,173,152 Bauer Sept. 19, 19392,248,916 Opper July 8, 1941 2,623,641 Shield Dec. 30, 1952

